ICT Fed Govt’s diversification strategy, says minister

The Minister of Communications Technology, Adebayo Shittu has said with the fall in the prices of oil in the international market, the information communications technology (ICT) sector has become a major economic diversification strategy of President Muhammdau Buhari-led administration.

According to him, the growth in telephone density cutting across the technology platforms has enabled other industries to develop growth strategies.

He said ICT is the only sector that recorded a positive growth of about 10 per cent in the first quarter of this year and it has become a major contributor to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Speaking yesterday on: Mobility, Technology and the Nigerian Economy at the 2016 ICT & Telecommunication Expo organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, Shittu said, the Smart Digital Nigeria project of the government is a suitable ICT platform for diversification of the economy.

Shittu said the mobile ecosystem currently contributes over $10 billion in value add to the economy and that mobile services have the potential to enable Nigerians benefit from the exchange of information for business and social needs for increase productivity.

He said the global quest for ICT for development is enormous to both developed and developing countries because ICT skills are critical to the success of enhancing national development in a globalised era.

“In this regard, the government is focused on creating opportunities for citizenship participation in ICT training, knowledge and skills acquisition, and general application and usage of ICT tools to solve problems, promote wellbeing and enhance national growth.”

“No doubt, with the dwindling revenue from the oil and gas sector, the Federal Government has realised more than ever before that telecoms and ICT are among the main drivers for the social and economic development of Nigeria and play a vital role in enhancing access to basic services in all sectors of our national life,” he said.